1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to imaging optics with adjustable optical power. The imaging optics is an optics of very general nature for use, for example, in a camera, telescope, a microscope or other optics. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method of adjusting an optical power in particular of a zoomable imaging optics.
Furthermore, the invention relates to a stereo-microscopy system for generating a magnified stereoscopic image of an object, as well as to a corresponding stereo-microscopy method.
A zoomable imaging optics is an imaging optics, the imaging ratio or magnification of which is variable.
2. Brief Description of Related Art
A conventional zoomable imaging optics comprises three lens assemblies, one of which is fixedly mounted in a support and the two other ones are displaceable along an optical axis of the optics to vary a magnification. In order to correctly displace these two lens assemblies relative to one another and relative to the fixedly positioned lens assembly, quite complex mechanics are required. Moreover, the necessary displacement of the lens assemblies requires the optics to have a relatively large minimum overall length.
From U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,028 a zoomable optics is known comprising a lens of variable optical power for changing the magnification, so that a mechanical displacement of lenses along the optical axis is not necessary. The lens of variable optical power forms part of an optics which, moreover, comprises plural lenses of fixed optical power and enables a relatively good compensation of imaging aberrations at a specific setting of the lens of variable optical power. However, if the optical power of the lens of variable optical power is varied to change the magnification, imaging aberrations occur which have a disturbing effect.
A conventional stereo-microscopy system comprises a left-hand stereo optics for generating a left-hand partial image of the stereoscopic image, as well as a right-hand partial stereo optics for generating a right-hand partial image of the stereoscopic image.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,081,372, for example, discloses a stereo-microscopy system of the so-called “Grenough” type, wherein each one of the left-hand partial stereo optics and the right-hand partial stereo optics comprises a separate objective assembly. Principal axes of both partial stereo optics are oriented at an angle relative to one another such that they intersect in an object plane of the two objective assemblies. If, in such a stereo-microscopy system, a working distance between the object plane and the objective assemblies is to be changed, the angle between the two principal axes must be changed accordingly, which renders the required mechanics unreasonably complex under practical aspects.
DE 90 16 892 U1 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,701,196 disclose stereo-microscopy systems, wherein an objective is provided for transforming an object-side beam bundle, emanating from an object plane of the objective, into an image-side beam bundle, and wherein left-hand partial stereo optics and right-hand partial stereo optics are provided in the respective image-side beam bundle and extract therefrom a left-hand partial beam bundle and a right-hand partial beam bundle, respectively, to generate therefrom the left-hand partial image and the right-hand partial image, respectively, of the stereoscopic image. The principal axes of the two partial beam bundles of the left-hand and right-hand partial stereo optics are fixedly positioned spaced apart from another and traverse the common objective also spaced apart from each other. The objective provides an optical power of a round lens. The objective comprises at least one assembly of positive optical power and one assembly of negative optical power, a distance between the two assemblies being variable to change a working distance between the objective and an object plane of the objective. In contrast to the stereo-microscopy system known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,081,372, no angle need to be changed between the principal axes of the two partial stereo optics in order to change a working distance.
The stereo-microscopy systems known from DE 90 16 892 U1 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,701,196 have proved successful in practice as far as the change of the working distance is concerned, but exhibit different optical characteristics, as against a comparable stereo-microscope with fixed working distance, i.e., wherein the working distance is not changeable. For example, in the stereo-microscopy system known from DE 90 16 892 U1, the assembly having a negative optical power is disposed closer to the object plane than the assembly having a positive optical power. Consequently, a principal plane of the objective is disposed, viewed from the object plane of the objective, behind the objective. Accordingly, a focal length of the objective is longer than a working distance between objective and objective plane. Due to the, as compared to the working distance, long focal length, the objective exhibits a total magnification, stereo impression and resolution which are diminished as compared to the corresponding objective with fixed focal length in which the focal length corresponds about to the working distance.
In the stereo-microscopy system known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,701,196, the assembly of positive optical power is disposed closer to the object plane than the lens assembly of negative optical power. As a result, a principal axis of the objective is disposed between the objective and the object plane. Accordingly, a focal length of the objective is shorter than a working distance between the object plane and the objective as such. This causes a decrease in the object field diameter and the depth of field as well as in an increase in the overall length, the overall volume and weight as compared to a corresponding objective with fixed focal length.